White to Play

Pete Tamburro on Apr 20, 2026

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Number 14 in our series of instructional games. Saemisch,F. - Engel,J. (E24) Brunn, 1928The first three moves by Black is known as the Nimzo-Indian Defense, one of the most solid defenses to 1.d4; however, if you play without a prompt counterattacking plan, you can get crushed as we see here. A very instructive game. Please take out a set and learn some very important chess lessons! The game opened with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 d6 6.Qc2 Qe7? (As with the freeing move for Black being d5 in the e4 openings, e5 is often the freeing move in the queen pawn openings. Black should play 6...e5!) 7.e4 e5 8.f3 0–0? (Here, castling is an error. A very important lesson. Black has time to go after the weakness he created--the doubled pawns at c4 and c3. Compare this line with the one Black chooses and you will see that Black quickly needed to create threats on c4. 8...Nc6 9.Be3 Nd7 10.Bd3 Na5 11.Ne2 Nb6 12.Qa2 f6 13.f4 (13.0–0 Qf7) 13...f5) 9.Bd3 Nc6 10.Ne2 Ne8 11.0–0 b6 12.Be3 Na5 13.Ng3 Be6 14.Qe2 f6 15.f4 exf4 16.Rxf4 Qf7 17.d5 Bd7 18.Raf1 Nb7 19.Nf5 Nc5 20.Bxc5 bxc5 (SEE DIAGRAM) People that want to get better will want to play over this game and stop here and come up with an attacking plan. If you pick the right plan you should also stop after move 23 to see if you can see the final mating combination. We stop here because in this series we picked position where you have to see the key move that leads to that mating position. Seeing the mating attacks when it's a forcing line at the end is very different when you have to see the move that leads to those positions.)

21.e5!! This is called a vacating sacrifice. The pawn sacrifices itself to open the attacking diagonal for the bishop to hit h7. 1...dxe5 22.Rh4 h6 23.Rxh6 Nd6 If 23...g6 24.Rxg6+ Qxg6 25.Ne7+ Kg7 26.Nxg6 Rg8 27.Nxe5 fxe5 28.Qh5 will mate shortly 24.Ne7+! Another vacating sacrifice to open the bishop's diagonal. 24...Qxe7 25.Rh8+ Kxh8 25...Kf7 26.Qh5+ g6 27.Qxg6# 26.Qh5+ Black Resigns as after 26...Kg8 27.Qh7+ Kf7 28.Bg6 mate The opening plan by White with a3 became known as the Saemisch Attack.

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.